I'll Be Home For Christmas
by ChaseChick
Summary: When Lydia and Stiles miss the school bus to Yosemite for their pre-Christmas trip they go on their own. But with the roads quickly deteriorating in the mountain pass they become stranded in the frigid wilderness. Now they must use their wits to survive something that for once, isn't a supernatural catastrophe, just a natural one.
1. Chapter 1

I'll Be Home for Christmas

Summary: When Lydia and Stiles miss the school bus to Yosemite for their pre-Christmas trip they go on their own. But with the roads quickly deteriorating in the mountain pass they become stranded in the frigid wilderness. Now they must use their wits to survive something that for once, isn't a supernatural catastrophe, just a natural one.

A Teen Wolf Fan fiction

Chapter 1

Stiles couldn't help fidgeting in the passenger seat. They'd been driving for hours, he and Lydia, trying to catch up to the bus they had missed. Beacon Hills School had sent the class on a trip to Yosemite hoping to no doubt put behind them the troublesome deaths and disappearances that had been plaguing their small town as of late. They'd head out and have a weekend stay at the park before heading back for Christmas break. It was a break that Stiles was actually pretty excited for.

Things had been relatively calm since Deucalion had up and left and the Darach had met her end, at least they figured she had as no one had been killed or taken and all of the activity seems to have stopped. Things had been calm, almost eerily so. Stiles couldn't help but constantly look over his shoulder waiting for the next thing to jump at him.

"Stiles would you stop!" Lydia chastised him as he adjusted the radio again.

He bowed his head a little embarrassed by her reprimand. "Sorry, I just… ugh… I cannot believe we haven't caught them yet! School buses are so slow and you are doing over the speed limit. We didn't even miss it by that much!" He adjusted his seatbelt and peered at the traffic ahead of them to see if he could catch a sight of the yellow bus.

"Well it wouldn't have happened if your Jeep had started." She jabbed.

"Well it would have started if Scott hadn't left my lights on." Stiles crossed his arms in a pout. They had all hung out the night before and being that it was so late they all crashed at Stiles's house. They woke up late and scrambled out the door the next morning only to find his Jeep with a dead battery. Scott and Isaac left on foot but Stiles and Lydia didn't have the gift of super human speed. Allison had gone ahead and ran home to get her bags that she hadn't brought with her the night before. They assured her they'd be close behind. But the Jeep wouldn't start not even with a battery charger hooked up so they had to huff it to Lydia's to retrieve her car. They had careened into the parking lot only to find it full of vacant cars and no bus.

They quickly decided that they could catch up and punched the address of the park into GPS and began pursuit. That was hours ago. Lydia cast Stiles a sad look out of the corner of his eye as he tried to fight the fidgeting by sticking his hands in his armpits.

"Why don't we stop and fill up at the rest station and see if we can get a cell signal and call Scott or Allison." Lydia decided as she passed a rest stop sign and turned her signal on to get off the highway. She pulled her new sedan into the gas pump but before she could get out to pump the gas Stiles beat her to it. She smiled quietly to herself. He was a gentleman sometimes and the thought seemed to warm her from the inside.

While Stiles pumped the gas Lydia pulled out her phone and tried to get a signal. Since they had begun entering the mountains they hadn't been able to get a signal and she still wasn't able to get one now. She frowned as she thought about having to drive her car through the mountain pass this time of year. She climbed out of the car just as Stiles had finished filling the tank.

"No signal. I'm going to see if they have a pay phone inside and see if Allison has a signal yet on the bus." Stiles nodded and followed her in the store.

"You want anything to eat or drink?" He asked her as he made his way to the cooler. "My treat!" He gave her a side smirk and try as she might to stop it a smile slid across her face.

"Iced tea?" She asked as she made her way to the payphone. He nodded to her before ambling off to the cooler.

She slid a few quarters into the archaic phone and dialed Allison's number. It went straight to voicemail along with Isaac and Scott, even Danny didn't answer so she assumed they were up in the mountains without any signal too.

She met back up with Stiles at the checkout and eyed his purchases. A few iced teas, a few bottles of water, a coke, several bags of chips, jerky, and some sweets. "Hungry?" She asked him.

He took his change and stuffed it in his pocket before he answered her. "Well if we have to drive the rest of the way there we are looking at another two hours or so depending on the weather. We might need sustenance." He stuffed their packages in the backseat and handed Lydia her Iced Tea as he opened his Coke and took a long chug. "No luck reaching anyone I take it?"

"Nope." She said popping the p loudly. "Looks like we might be driving the whole way after all. At least we can leave whenever we want this way I guess."

"You want me to drive for a while?" He asked. She yawned and stretched her arms and nodded. She settled in and leaned the seat back. Stiles moved his seat back and adjusted the mirrors. After buckling his seatbelt he started the engine and pulled back onto the highway. The first flakes of snow were just beginning to fall on the horizon. "Here we go."

_A/N: Decided to get back into the swing of writing by starting another fan fiction. And let's be honest all the new Teen Wolf promos coming out have gotten me excited for the next season. I'm hoping to have this little ditty wrapped up in time for Christmas. This is a side plot from the current happenings at Beacon Hills… so no supernatural in this story… well much =) I hope you enjoy. Please leave a review… I won't be shy… I love them… or hit me up on Tumblr… Chasechick! TTFN!_


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Oh The Weather Outside is Frightful

Stiles hoped the snow would let up soon. Not long after leaving the rest station it began to come down, first in soft delicate flurries progressing quickly into a near white out. Lydia had been dozing while Stiles navigated the treacherous roads. He was growing more concerned, especially since he couldn't remember the last time he'd seen another car. He pulled carefully to the side of the road and decided to see if he had any cell phone signal. Again there were no bars, his IPhone was stuck in roaming and might as well have been a paperweight for all the good it was doing him.

Lydia stirred noticing they'd stopped. "Stiles?" She said sleepily. He bit his lip, something about her saying his name while half asleep was hot as hell.

"Yea." He answered back a little gruff from lack of use.

"Where are we? Are we there?" She asked as she sat up and stretched it was all Stiles could do to keep his mouth from falling.

"No we aren't there. I'm not even sure where we are. It's pretty nasty out. I haven't seen a car in ages. I don't have any cell signal so I think I'm going to try for the next exit and see if we can find some place to wait out the storm." He said sounding far more confident than if he felt. He would have much preferred the stability of his old Jeep. The four wheel drive and new tires he'd had put on her after the wreck would have been invaluable in the mountains. Instead he was stuck driving her newer sedan that weighed so little it often skidded with the slightest road covering of snow.

"Okay." She said more awake. She reached for her tea and took a sip as Stiles navigated back on to the road. She turned the cd off that had been playing softly in the background and switched it to the radio. At first she got nothing but static but switching it to the AM band she was able to catch the weather.

"A Severe Winter Storm Warning is in effect for the area. Road conditions may be hazardous and officials are encouraging people to stay off the roads unless completely necessary. Road crews are out but conditions may turn severe rapidly." The recorded broadcasting began to repeat again and Lydia switched it off and plunged the car into silence, the only sound was the occasional squeak from the wipers.

They were crawling at a snail's pace now. Barley doing twenty on a highway that people usually cruised 70 on. The snow was thick and the wind in this part of the mountains whipped it making the road disappear in front of them. Stiles had both hands on the wheel, his knuckles were white from gripping it so hard in his concentration. He hunched forwarded and squinted as if he could see through the snow that way.

Finally, after a silent and tense ten minutes they came to an exit sign. Stiles signaled and slowly pointed the car in the direction he hoped the exit was. The exit was a steady incline and the car spun half way up. Stiles muttered curse words to himself but stayed focused. He managed to gain enough traction to reach the stop sign. "Now where do we go?" He asked Lydia. There were no signs at the intersection and no signs of life. Lydia was trying to view a map on the GPS to figure out where they were. The GPS had conveniently lost signal sometime after they had gotten back on the road from the rest stop.

She bit her lip in concentration and scrolled along the map. "I think we're here." She said pointing to a little blurb on the map. "But that just an educated guess." She said as she nervously pushed her hair behind her ear. She scrolled along the road in either direction but nothing close to civilization seemed to be visible. "Well I guess your guess is as good as mine." She said as she looked to Stiles for an answer.

His heart felt like it was going to leap from his chest. She looked up at him with wide innocent eyes as though she expected him to him to keep her safe, to take care of her. And he would, no doubt, do anything for her, he just didn't know what he was leading them into. What if he chose the wrong direction and they ended up stranded? What if they crashed? His hands shook as he released the steering wheel. The tremor didn't go unnoticed by Lydia who grasped both of his hands in her small ones.

"I don't know Lydia, this isn't good. We could be stranded. I don't know where to go." His voice betrayed him, he was trying to feign indifference, play it cool, so of course his voice cracked in the middle.

Lydia took one of her hands from his and brushed his cheek and rubbed her thumb against his cheek. "We'll be okay Stiles. I mean it's you and me. We'll be okay. I trust you." He covered her hand with his for a moment before deciding which direction to head.

When he turned back to face the road she dropped her hands and he placed his back at ten and two on the steering wheel. "Okay, let's try right. We go for a little bit and if we find nothing we can turn back around and go the other way. We can't wait this out in the car, we'll freeze." He eased the sedan forward and carefully turned right down the barren snow covered road.

They crawled slowly forward before the slope of the road began to decline. They hadn't seen a house or sign so they had no idea how far they were. "I wonder if the bus made it through this?" Lydia asked breaking the silence.

"Well they are pretty heavy and if they had enough of a head start they might already be there. We weren't too far ourselves… maybe 45 minutes or so… well on a good day." He offered her a self-depreciating smile before turning his eyes back on the road. They drove a few more minutes before they came to a stop in front of a sign that read: Road Closed Due to Snowfall.

Stiles and Lydia both sucked in a defeated breath. Without a word Stiles carefully turned the car around and began driving back the way they had come. Both of them were tense, Stiles gripped the wheel his brown eyes unblinking as he stared at the road, Lydia gripping the sides of her seat with her well-manicured hands.

They started back up the hill and only made it part of the way before Stiles began to feel the back tires start to spin. He bit the inside of his cheek. If he couldn't find traction they were stuck. He managed to make the car climb another twenty yards before it started sliding towards the ditch. He let off of the gas hoping the momentum would stop them in the road but the car was on an icy patch and slid backwards and right in to the two foot ditch.

He managed to yell Lydia's name and pull her closer to him as they slid shielding her with his arms. If it had been his Jeep he might have had a chance to maneuver out of the slide, but not with her car. Thankfully once in the ditch the car stopped sliding backwards, but Stile's heart was pounding and this time it wasn't from holding Lydia Martin against his chest. This time he realized they were in serious trouble.

"Are you okay?" He asked her as he pulled her face into his hands and looked at her. She was trembling and he could see the tears welling up in her eyes but she bit her tip and nodded taking a deep breath to gather herself.

"Yea, you?" She asked her voice wavering but growing stronger.

"Hah, trapped with Lydia Martin… I'd say that's a dream come true. I'm great!" He tried joking but she could see through him as she leaned in and threw her arms around him.

"What do we do now Stiles?" She asked.

He sat for a moment with his arms around her and took stock of their situation. The gas gauge was at three quarters of a tank, and the battery looked like it was holding its charge for now. The car leaned as the whole passenger side of the car was in the ditch.

"I'm going to just get out real quick and make sure we aren't going anywhere or if I can get us out. See if you by some miracle can get a cell signal. I'll be right back." She nodded as he eased the car in park and turned back to get his hat and gloves. As he opened the car door they were hit with a frigid blast of cold wind. Lydia shivered as Stiles climbed out into the accumulating snow. She watched him circling their car for a moment before she remembered she was supposed to be checking for a phone signal. She pulled her phone off the charger and simply saw "roaming" on the screen. Perfect.

Stile brought even more worrisome news as he clamored back into the car. His cheeks and nose were tinted red, his hat and coat covered with a dusting of snow. He shivered a bit as he shut the door. "Well your car looks okay but we aren't getting out of here without a tow, we're stuck good, looks like we'll have to wait till the snow clears to be able to drive back up this hill though. Any luck with the phone?" His eyes were hopeful as they looked to her. Lydia simply shook her head no and tried to keep from freaking out.

"Okay. This officially sucks." Stiles said before switching the radio back on. "Let's see if we can get any news on the weather to see how long this thing is going to last."

Finally the broadcast began again. "This is an Emergency Alert Broadcast. The National Weather Service has issued a Severe Storm Warning for the entire broadcasting area. Heavy snow falls of up to 1 inch per hour or more are expected with high winds making travel dangerous. Accumulations of up to ten inches are expected through this evening and will continue into tomorrow with an additional accumulation of another 4-6 inches. Snow will taper off by Sunday evening or early Monday morning."

Lydia let out a squeak at the news and launched herself around Stiles not even caring that he was getting her wet with snow.

"What are we going to do Stiles?" She asked no longer even keeping appearances of being cool.

He brushed his gloved hand against her strawberry blonde hair and inhaled the smell of her perfume. "I don't know Lydia. But we're going to be okay. We are."

_A/N: So here is chapter 2 and our couple looks to be headed into some serious trouble. Hope you are all enjoying this ride… Leave me some love if you are… any predictions? Chasechick! Just FYI I plan on writing this fairly quickly and will finish before Christmas (hopefully at least). Let me know if you like where it's heading!_


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Let It Snow

As the minutes slowly ticked by the snow continued its relentless pace showing no signs of letting up. No cars had passed since they had slid into the ditch and Stiles's ADD was making him restless. He wanted to act but he knew the safest course was to wait. So they sat in companionable silence and watched the snow swirl down around them.

He alternated turning the car off and on every half an hour, they'd shiver in the cold wearing their hats and gloves in the back seat with a thin blanket Stiles had packed in his hiking pack draped over them. It was nice to have Lydia wrapped in his arms but he could feel the tremors wrack her body as the temperature began to plummet. After a half hour of the car off he'd turn it back on in hopes they'd be able to preserve enough gas until someone happened by. It was three o'clock and they'd been doing this on again off again schedule for nearly two hours before he came to a decision.

"I have to go out Lydia." It was the first thing he'd said in a while and the sudden sound caused her to jump.

"What?! No you can't!" She immediately grabbed the lapels of his jacket and shook him.

"Just hear me out." He tried to placate her rubbing his cold hands on her red cheeks. She sucked in a breath but didn't argue as he began his reasoning; puffs of cold breath were the only thing moving between them. "Even with conserving fuel we will run out somewhere around eight tonight I figure. That's a dangerous time to run out of heat. We're doing the right thing waiting here for now to see if anyone sees us but eventually we have to try for someplace else if no one comes. "

"We'll run out at 7 actually." Lydia spoke softly. He smiled and pushed an errant locket of hair back behind her ear. She was smart; of course she knew what was going to happen.

"Your boots really aren't practical in this and your coat is pretty but thin. I've got some hiking boots on and some pretty warm clothes. I'll hike to the exit ramp and see if I can spot anyone. If I can't I'll try going a little ways the other direction to see if I can find a house or cabin or something. I will be back before dark I promise."

Lydia looked like she wanted to protest but she bit her lip and looked away from him. "If you aren't back here then what?" She asked and Stiles could hear the tears she was trying to hide from him.

"I will be Lydia, no matter what." Stiles didn't want to think of what would happen to her if he didn't make it back. He had to, for her sake. "Just keep alternating running the car and turning it off so the battery doesn't die in the cold and stay under the blanket. Keep the doors locked and be wary of anyone just in case okay?" He swallowed thickly as he rubbed her face. He longed to kiss her chapped lips before heading out into the cold. It would be a nice memory to keep him warm in the blizzard but he pulled back before she could reject him. He pulled on his mittens and gloves and Lydia wrapped her scarf around his face so that only his eyes were visible. He took the flash light and his pack stuffing a bottle of water and a pack of jerky in the pocket. "Do you have anything to write with… marker perhaps in that bag of yours?" He asked her.

She dug through her oversized handbag and produced a highlighter and a marker. "What? You never know when I might need to write something down or highlight. You should know that!" She smiled as he took the sharpie from her.

"You wouldn't happen to have something to write on that won't get soggy in there do you?"

"Nope. But I do have a Prom Committee car wash sign in the trunk. It's blank on one side and chloroplast so that should work right?" She leaned off the seat and motioned for Stiles to do the same. She pulled the levers on the sides of the seat and leaned it forward. The trunk was colder than the car and it hit her like an icy blast but she dove in and spotted her sign underneath some other things and tugged it forward. It was a small poster but would work. Stiles flipped it over and wrote _Lydia and Stiles Stuck in Car_ clumsily with his gloved hands_._

He folded it carefully sticking it in his bag and just as he's about to leave the car Lydia closes the distance between them pressing her warm chapped lips to his. He takes a moment to register what is happening before bringing his gloved hands to her hair and returning the kiss. It's over far too soon and Stiles really doesn't want to leave but he sees her trembling with cold and knows he must. "Go ahead and start the car and get warmed up Lydia. I'll be back soon, promise."

He kept his eyes on her as he pulled the door handle and stepped out into the snow that was now up to his knees. He shoved the door shut against the blowing wind and waved to Lydia and turned to head up the last of the hill head bowed in the wind. He checked his phone which showed 3:25 and knew the sun set somewhere around 4:30 and it was dark quickly thereafter. He'd have to move as fast as possible. The thick snow and blowing winds made it tough going but in some of the areas the snow had been blown into drifts on the side of the road clearing the way for him and blocking some of the gusts. He jogged then to make up for lost time silently thanking coach for making them run cross country to keep in shape.

He kept his eyes peeled for any kind of hunting cabins or paths off the sides of the road, often small places were hard to spot when someone wasn't there to plow the roads. He hadn't spotted any. He managed to make it to the exit ramp by 4. He ran to the side and peered down on to what was supposed to be the highway but he didn't see a single car in site in either direction. The road hadn't been touched since they had driven on it. There tracks had long since been swollen up by the winds and snow, erasing any sign of them having been there at all.

He stopped and pulled the bottle of water from his pack and drank a sip of it. It was quickly turning to slush in the bottle. He retrieved the sign and the duct tape he always kept in his bag. You never knew when you'd need it. He has to pull his gloves off and the cold immediately began to bite at his hands. He quickly ripped off two pieces with his teeth and stuck it quickly to the exit sign so anyone looking might find them.

His teeth were chattering now and despite Lydia's girly scarf wrapped around his face his nose and cheeks burned with wind burn. He quickly slipped his frozen fingers back into his gloves and checked the time on his phone. 4:10. He reasoned he could jog a little down the road to the next bend to see if he could spot anything before hustling back. He hoped going down the hill to the car would afford him better time.

He kept his phone out keeping a close eye on it. He wouldn't put it past Lydia to try and come out after him and she'd be frozen more quickly than he would. He kept his eyes peeled but didn't find anything of use. The entire area was completely barren and deserted.

He was just about to turn back when he spotted something between the trees. He hoped it was a home or a hunting cabin where they could hole up until the storm blew out. He struggled through a particularly deep drift of snow that nearly got him stuck up to his waste but he managed to wretch himself free. He was freezing, teeth chattering and hands painfully numb. His hopes were quickly dashed when he spotted a shed. He looked around but it looked like someone used the spot for camping and would pull in an RV or set up a tent, nothing else was around other than a ramshackle looking outhouse.

There was a lock on the shed and no windows. There were cracks in the boards so he could peer through. It didn't look like there was much in there. He reasoned if he had to he could grab a tire iron out of Lydia's car and break it open. He hoped they wouldn't have to. The sun was quickly dropping and he knew he needed to hustle back to Lydia both to keep her safe and to warm up his quickly freezing limbs. Frostbite and exposure was deadly out here. When he made it back to the road he took Lydia's obscenely bright scarf off and tied it to a tree so that they could see it should they have to make the trek tonight when the fuel ran out.

He immediately missed it's warmth but tried alternating arms up over his face to block some of the chill. He ran even though his feet felt like two blocks of ice. The sun had set and the shadows were lengthening as he made his way past his sign and the exit ramp. He pushed forward even harder. When he hit several icy spots he fell into the snow, his already wet jeans freezing him even more. It was almost dark when he saw the car and his phone read ten minutes past five. He prayed Lydia had stayed put and hadn't wandered off out here after him. He was relieved to hear the car engine start up at the sight of him and the back door fling open.

Stiles clamored through the opening stiffly and pulled the door shut.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

We Ain't Got No Place To Go

"Stiles! Oh my God I was just about to come looking for you! You are a popsicle." She admonished as she gingerly pulled his gloves off his frozen fingers and began to gently warm them between her own.

His teeth were chattering and he was shivering so violently that he couldn't say anything just yet. The heater was on full blast and though it was warm it nearly hurt Stiles as feeling came rushing back to him with painful pinpricks. When he could move he rested back against the seat and tried to untie his frozen shoe strings but his fingers wouldn't cooperate.

"Just relax I'll do it okay. Just lay back, here have a drink of your coke and try and eat some jerky. She said as she gave him the bottle of coke with cap off and he greedily downed the remains of it. She handed him a bag of jerky and he took a small piece and wedged it in his mouth too tired to chew. Lydia made quick work picking at his laces with her long nails and gently eased the wet shoes off his feet. She set them near the vents in the front in some attempt to dry them. Stiles was lightly dozing in the back seat, exhausted from his excursion. She peeled back his damp socks and leaned into the front and draped them over the vents.

She was just about to rub his feet when his voice startled her. "What are you doing?"

She jumped back as if caught in a flame. "Warming your feet of course. They look frozen."

"You are going to make the whole car reek of sweaty feet with my socks on the vent." He says trying to be funny but she just gives him a soft smack and puts her hands on his feet. He jerks in response. "It's okay Lyd, you don't have to do that."

"I know but you'd do it for me." She proceeds to rub her hands soft at first and then vigorously over his feet to bring circulation back into them. After a few moments Stiles pulls himself back up into a sitting position effectively ending her warming foot rub. "Find anything?" She asked looking at him with hopeful eyes.

She didn't have to specify, he knew what she was asking. He blew out a long breath, and ran his hands over his head pulling off his hat and hung his head in exhaustion. "Nothing. Not a single car or track on the highway. I hung up the sign there. I hiked probably a half mile in the other direction and the only thing I was able to find was a rundown shed. It's locked but if I had to I could probably pry it open with a tire iron."

Lydia applied a layer of Chap Stick on her cracked lips and leaned in to apply it to Stiles's. He stilled and held his breath at her close proximity. She leaned in and this time he closed the space that separated them and brought her into a searing kiss. His hands were free from the gloves this this time allowing him to bury them in her thick hair. He could have kissed her forever but he knew they needed to make a decision soon. He slowed eased out of the kiss and gave smaller quick kisses on the side of her mouth along her jaw before pulling her to him and burying his head in her neck in a desperate embrace.

"So what are we going to do?" She asked him as she rubbed his back. He should have been bouncing off the wall with the barriers they had finally been able to get through being stuck out here alone. But all he could think about was what might happen and how Lydia might come to harm if he didn't do something soon.

"Well we're going to run out of gas in another half an hour or so. Do you think we should try for the shed?" He asked finally breaking the hug to look into her eyes. He could see her weighing the options in her mind, a list of pros and cons that helped lead her to a decision.

"Well there we could possibly start some kind of fire. I have a lighter in my purse at least and there has to be some kind of kindling out there dry enough to burn. We have some water and some food. We could write a note and leave it here letting them know where we went. I'd say it's the best shot we have."

"Do you think we should try now in the dark though?" He asked taking in her frilly "snow" boots and thinner jacket in the dim lighting.

"Well we have the flashlight and both of our cell phones fully charged. How long do you think it will take to get there? The road is going to disappear altogether soon probably long before morning." She sat up taking inventory of everything they had available to them. "What all did you pack Stiles?"

He sat up and they pulled their bags from the back and he pried the carpet lose to remove the tire iron. He hoped he could break into the shed and it was the only means of defense if they came across something unfriendly. They had a blanket, some clothing changes, toiletries, a few snacks, Stiles's medication, a small first aid kit located in the back, and a Swiss army knife. Lydia had a small sleeping bag rolled in the bottom of her duffle, a notebook and a few books that was about it.

It was nearing 7 and Stiles began turning everything off they didn't need in the car. They unplugged their chargers and fully charged cell phones and stuffed them in their coat pockets, he made sure all the lights were off. Lydia wrote a note on a piece of notebook paper she had in her bag and Stiles taped it to the wheel.

"Lydia put on as many layers of clothes as you can, double or triple on socks if you can. It's going to be worse out there now." She nodded and dove into her bag pulling out socks and another shirt to slide over her sweater. Stiles pulled on his now dry socks and found another pair to add to it. He could just slide his boots on with two pair on. He took off his coat and slid a flannel on under it before putting it on and pulling his hat down low over his ears. Lydia was bundled up as much as she could but he still figured she'd be cold. Stiles stuffed the blanket and Lydia's purse into his pack and they took one more glance around to make sure they had everything they could. Stiles held the flashlight out and turned it on.

"Ready?" He asked her and she nodded nervously. He leaned forward and killed the engine. Reserving whatever fumes they had just in case. They were plunged into darkness the only light from the narrow beam he held in his hands. He pushed the door open and stepped into the blinding snow and gave his hand out to Lydia and pulled her to him. He could just hear her gasp over the whipping wind as she stepped out into the night.

_A/N: Thank you for all the love on this story. It has been fun to write. I've used the wonderful snow storm I was caught in on Saturday as inspiration. What do you think will happen next? Anything you'd like to see. I think we definitely will see some action… probably nothing pornographic but I'm excited to see them cross some of the boundaries they've been hesitant to thus far. They say life or death situations will do that to you. Visit me on tumblr or leave me some love here. Chasechick!_


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

A Fire is So Delightful

The snow was nearly blinding. It was hard to make out where the road was at times. The narrow beam of the flashlight cast more shadows in their path than it chased away. Stiles kept Lydia's small hand in his and gripped it painfully. He was afraid if they should slip apart, even for a moment, they'd be lost.

It was almost nine by the time they reached the exit sign. He was relieved to have found it he was almost certain they'd veered off the wrong way. Thankfully the road was bordered with trees and it kept them at least headed in the right general direction. They stopped to rest there for a moment. "We're almost there." He yelled to Lydia over the howl of the wind. He pulled his cell phone out and cast the light gently in her direction. Her lips were turning purple and she had ice clinging to the ends of her exposed mane and on the ends of her eye lashes.

Though she hadn't complained once and kept pace as best she could she kept stumbling. Stiles feared her feet were more froze than his were feeling. She honestly looked like she could topple over any minute and go to sleep. "It's not much farther Lydia, can you do it?" She nodded resolutely, her teeth chattering too much to offer a vocal reply.

They started off again and that is when Stiles heard them. They yapping of the coyotes was shrill and close. Lydia stopped and froze in terror. There wasn't much they could do at the moment; they were vulnerable out in the open. Stiles knew their best bet was to keep moving and light a fire to keep them at bay. They could be vicious in weather like this, doing anything necessary to stay alive. "Lydia hold the flashlight for just a second, I'm going to get something out of my bag and then we are going to move to the shed as fast as possible. It will be okay, just stay with me."

He thrust the flashlight into her trembling hands and she didn't protest but she didn't look at him either. He took his pack off his shoulders and rifled through it pulling out her small tire iron. It wasn't much but it was solid. He slid the pack back on and motioned Lydia to take her duffle off her shoulder. "Let me carry that, we can move faster that way." He spoke as quite as possible. She nodded but Stiles had to help her out of it, whether she was stiff from fear or the cold he didn't know, he only knew they needed to hurry.

With her bag firmly over his shoulder he grabbed her hand in one and held the tire iron in the other and pulled her forward. The coyotes yapped all around them, it sounded like they had surrounded them. But odds are it was a lot of echoing making it sound that way, at least that's what he hoped. Stiles could feel the hair standing up on the back of his neck as another bout sounded particularly close to them. He was starting to think trekking out into the woods at night was a really dumb move on their part.

He kept his eyes peeled for the scarf and for a few minutes was actually terrified that he'd missed it in his haste to hurry, but he finally came across it as they made the corner. It no longer looked purple in the light, more like white with specs of purple, frozen and stiff. "There's your scarf. We're almost there!" Stiles called to Lydia over a freezing gust of wind. He pulled her to a stop as they reached the marker. "Hold the flashlight straight out to the cabin and climb on my back."

"W-What?" She chattered out looking at him as if he'd lost his mind.

"The snow is really deep here. It's drifted, it was nearly up to my waste, there's no way you'd be able to walk through it. "She nodded her head and he knelt down and she threw her arms around his neck. He stood up and wobbled for a moment before righting himself. Exhaustion and the cold were taking a toll on him. Add to that the weight of both packs and Lydia and he was pushed to the edge of his physical endurance. He didn't know how he did it but he managed to put one foot in front of the other. Nearly half way through the drift he almost lost his balance but Lydia was able to push off a tree trunk to right them before she was tossed into the snow.

Finally frozen from the waist down Stiles struggled out of the deep drift and onto nearly uncovered ground. He kneeled down and collapsed to his hands and knees as Lydia climbed down. After a moment of catching his breath Stiles stood and pulled the bags from his back and dropped them unceremoniously to the ground and moved toward the shed. Lydia pointed the beam shakily in that direction.

His fingers were numb and ached with every movement. He was clumsy as he thrust the tip of the tire iron beneath the lock, it merely slipped away unscathed when he leaned into it. He tried again and again. Once catching his hand on the tire iron as he slipped leaning into it. He cursed to himself at the pain which seemed to be magnified in the cold. He was so tired and cold he just wanted to give up but one look at Lydia and her chattering teeth and ice filled lashes and Stiles knew he couldn't.

He tried for nearly half an hour before hearing the splintering of wood as the lock came free from the door and he turned the handle and shoved. The door creaked open in the wind and Stiles took a deep breath in relief before he stepped back and ushered Lydia inside with the flash light. He stepped back to retrieve their bags and followed her into the shed.

It wasn't much a ten foot square shed on a concrete slab. Stiles leaned into the door to shut it and the wind was lessened immensely, he could hardly hear his ears were ringing so loudly unused to the stillness. He pulled out his cell phone and turned the flash light app as Lydia looked around with the flashlight.

They found two tarps, one plastic and one canvas covering a pile of useless things. Nothing that would help them in the slightest, a four wheeler missing two wheels, some spare parts and a few smaller things Stiles couldn't really get a good look at in the dim lighting.

"Look at this!" Lydia exclaimed as she pointed the flash light to the other corner. There was a small tackle box with various hooks and string inside. Hopefully that meant that there might be running water nearby with some fish if they got desperate.

"Why don't we see if we can get a fire going before we freeze to death?" Stiles asked with his trademark smirk. "The floor is stone at least so we can build one right here. There are enough cracks to let out the smoke so we shouldn't die of smoke inhalation."

Lydia nodded and began unzipping her bag and retrieving her notebook for starting paper and pulled her purse from Stile's oversized bag and pulled out her lighter. "What are we going to use for wood?" She looked around the shed and didn't see a piece they could use.

"I'll go out and gather some. Hopefully there will be some dead small stuff I can gather up that won't be too wet to burn. Once we get it going I'll get more. Why don't you see if you can use my duct tape and see if you can hang up one of the tarps over the walls to block some of the cracks to keep it warmer while I'm gone?" She nodded and tossed him the flash light. She turned on her cell phone and began rummaging in his bag for the tape.

Though it was the last thing he wanted Stiles vacated the small shed and went back into the numbing cold. The shed wasn't warm but it least it blocked some of the wind. The thought of a warm fire and cuddling with Lydia was enough to motivate him. He circled the shed in small circles looking for wood. There wasn't much in the way of downed trees here and without anything to cut up wood it was difficult to find something small enough to take into the shed. If they burnt it down they wouldn't have a place at all.

With a small arm load of wood he walked back to the shed, he entered and shut the creaky door against the wind. Lydia was struggling to reach the top corner of the tarp she was hanging and Stiles smiled at her before depositing the wood next to the wall and coming over to help her. She startled a bit when he simply reached over and held the tarp in place.

"You scared the crap out of me." She admonished with no bite whatsoever. She handed him a ripped off piece of duct tape which he put in the corner to secure it. They placed pieces along the edges and Stiles put more along the top. She had managed to reach the other corner by standing on the broken four wheeler at least. They worked in silence before moving to the wood and lighter to hopefully light a fire.

They put the fire in the center of the shed giving it enough room that it was away from the walls and far enough from the door that it hopefully wouldn't blow out if they needed to go out. Lydia ripped papers out of her notebook and crumpled them up and began a pile. Stiles removed his gloves even though his fingers protested at the biting cold and began breaking up smaller pieces of the wood, peeling bark or whatever he could to get the smallest pieces to start the fire.

Lydia tried to light the lighter but with her gloves on all she seemed to do was drop it. Stiles covered her hands with his to still them and removed the lighter from her. With a quick flick of his thumb the lighter sparked to life. He held the flame shakily to the pile of paper and wood chippings and held his breath as it caught.

It crackled merrily and the shadows seemed to dance on the walls as the papers burst into flame. It began to smoke a little as it reached the small chunks of wood but soon those too glowed. Stiles moved to the pile and retrieved a few smaller pieces of wood and added them to the small fire. Lydia removed her gloves and the tips of her fingers were an icy blue. Stiles moved to her and dropped to his knees. He brought her frozen hands into his and rubbed them softly. He cupped his hand around one and then another blowing warmly into it.

He wasn't sure if it was the cold or the warmth of the fire or Stiles's proximity to her but Lydia's cheeks were crimson. After a few moments he stopped rubbing and gave her a gentlemanly kiss on her hand before dropping it to get more wood to pile on the fire.

_A/N: Still snowing and freezing here… using that is inspiration. I wasn't too sure about this chapter. There wasn't opportunity for a whole lot of dialogue or action. I had to get them from point A to point B first. Look for more Stydia and action in the next chapter. Thank you for all the follows and reviews… it makes me really want to continue writing at this crazy pace to make sure we reach a conclusion by Christmas!_


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Warm Hearts, Warm Fires

After traipsing through the cold for a few more times Stiles finally proclaimed that he had enough wood to last for a few hours at least and he could spare some time getting warmed up. His feet had stopped aching and were comfortably numb, something that was beginning to worry him tremendously. He brought in the last pile of wood and dumped it onto the small pile he'd managed to acquire.

Lydia had unpacked some of their food and laid out the blanket and sleeping bag next to the fire to warm. It looked like she had even filled his Coke bottle with snow and set it next to the fire to melt into something drinkable. She had kept the fire well stoked in his absence and the shed was actually warm, well compared to the frigid wilderness beyond it seemed to be anyway.

He sat down opposite her and pulled off his gloves and hat and set them out to dry. Next his numb fingers pulled at his boots until he nearly shoved them off with his heels instead. Though his socks were dry they felt frozen and stiff, he left them on for now and set his boots out to dry alongside his hat and gloves.

He moved over to sit on the blanket and motioned for Lydia to sit next to him. She had removed her gloves and hat but was still wearing her fur lined boots. When she sat he moved to pull them off and she nearly jumped away from him. "Lydia my feet are frozen, yours have to be. I'm worried about frost bite so let's get them dried out and warmed up." He said gently. His eyes were heavy. He didn't know what time it was having shut his phone off to conserve power but it had to be approaching midnight if he had to guess. He'd love to just curl up here next to the fire and fall asleep.

He tugged the boots off in a quick efficient motion. Lydia still flinched at the pull on her feet. He set the boots alongside the fire and made quick work of her two pair of socks. Her toes were blue, dark blue. She bit her lip and looked at Stiles as though she was afraid he was going to yell at her. "Do they hurt?" He asked her as he pulled her closer and wrapped the sleeping bag around her shoulders before bringing her feet into his lap and scooting them as close to the fire as he dared.

"A little." She answered meekly.

"Why didn't you say something Lyd?" Her face flushed and she looked away.

"Sorry." She mumbled obviously embarrassed.

Stiles stopped examining her feet and hooked his finger under her chin to turn her face towards him. "Hey don't apologize. You've been awesome this trip. If I were you I would have been crying my eyes out if my feet were like blocks of ice. You don't ever have to be afraid to tell me something Lydia, you know that."

She smiled softly at him. "I know. You are good Stiles. Sometimes you're too good. I have a hard time believing you're for real."

Stiles stilled his hands as he was about to begin rubbing circulation back into her feet.

"What's that supposed to mean? Of course I'm real." Stiles smirked before returning his attention to her feet. He started with her right one and mouthed out a sorry to her as she whimpered.

"Who would have thought being cold could hurt so much?" Lydia said as she continued to shift uncomfortably as Stiles's hands rubbed her foot vigorously.

"Hurt, Lydia cold like this could kill you." Stiles said as he switched to the other foott. "Hopefully we can get your blood flowing and back into your toes. We can't have you losing any toes."

"What?!" She shrieked as she brought her feet out of his lap as if to make sure they were all still there. "Lose my toes?"

Stiles gave his trademark grin before grabbing her feet and pulling them back to his lap. "Yes Lydia that is how people get frost bite out here. They have to amputate them. But they are already getting blood back in them so you'll be fine. We just have to keep them toasty until help comes that's all. Oh, and I'm buying you a new set of boots for Christmas." He began rubbing her feet again as Lydia settled back down.

"What kind of boots?" She asked with a curious look on her face.

"Don't get your hopes up. Nothing designer that's for sure. Something more… functional."

She offered him a fake pout which started them both laughing. "Ohhh they tingle so bad!" She giggled as Stiles wrapped them back in her now warm and dry socks.

"That's a good thing. If you couldn't feel them I'd be worried!" Stiles said as he made to finally pull off his own socks.

He frowned, he immediately knew something was wrong. One toe was nearly black. And it felt hot to the touch. The others next to it were blue but he could feel them. "Stiles?" Lydia asked as she tried to look around his shoulders.

"It's... It's nothing Lydia." He said as he tried to shield her from his view.

"Stiles you are a horrible liar. Let me see." She gently shoved him and he gave up trying to hide his hideous toe from her view. She gasped but then brought her hand to her mouth in attempt to hide her reaction. "Oh my God! Stiles! Look at your poor toe. Oh God. Does it hurt? Are you okay?"

Even though his situation wasn't great, horrible actually, he still couldn't help but smile at her reaction. How worried she was for him, how she kept rubbing him in affectionate places. How her lip wobbled when she thought he might be hurt.

"I can't actually feel it so I'm fine. I guess all that hiking must have done a number on me today. There might still be hope for it, but if not… well who looks at my feet?" He brushed a tear that had started down her rosy cheek. "I'm okay Lydia please don't cry."

She sniffed and rubbed her eyes and took a deep shuddering breath in an effort to control her emotions. "Sorry."

"Hey, what did I say? No apologizing!" He said as he brushed a loose piece of damp hair behind her ear. She leaned in and captured his lips with hers. He didn't care that his lips were chapped and burned, that his stomach felt empty and that his toe was going to be a lost cause. All that mattered was that Lydia and he were safe and she was kissing him, willingly, and hopefully repeatedly.

They kissed, sometimes hurried and wet, other times slow and tender. Stiles kissed along her jaw and down her neck causing her to moan. Stiles had to shift to hide his growing arousal at her reaction. They broke apart panting, foreheads still pressed together, just staring into the eyes of the other. The moment was broken when Stiles's stomach gave an almighty rumble. They broke apart and Lydia giggled reaching for the remaining bag of beef jerky.

"Let's get something to eat and get some sleep Stiles. And I do mean sleep young man!" She gave him a fake stern glare as he perked up like an eager puppy when she said sleep.

He stood and padded barefoot over to the pile of wood and grabbed a few of the larger pieces and added them to the fire. "Set the alarm for two hours or so. I don't want to let the fire go out." Stiles said as he sat the logs carefully on the pile causing a few sparks to jump upwards. He watched them wearily making sure each one extinguished before reaching any of the structure.

Lydia programed her phone and sat it beside the makeshift bed before handing Stiles two large pieces of jerky. She took one for herself. They finished off the "meal" with some water from the Coke bottle.

Lydia curled up on the blanket. She stuffed their bags to one end to use like a pillow and pulled the sleeping bag around front to cover up with. Stiles looked at her questioningly as if asking her permission. She smiled innocently as she patted the spot behind her.

Stiles pulled his socks back over his feet and crawled in behind Lydia. They pulled the sleeping bag around them and curled up together. Stiles was unsure of where to put his hand but Lydia seemed to sense his nervousness and grabbed his hand with hers and pulled it around her waist and laced their fingers together.

They settled down together and Stiles immediately began to feel drowsy from the warmth despite living out one of his greatest fantasies.

"Goodnight Lydia." He whispered.

"Goodnight Stiles." She whispered back groggily. And the two drifted off to sleep beside the crackling fire oblivious to the sounds of the howling wind and calling coyotes that lay in the vastness beyond them.

For now they were content and warm. For now.

_A/N: Why does real life have to reign on my parade? I had a hard time getting this lovey chapter out when I'm exhausted and crabby. I hope I was able to pull off a little bit of Stydia in this chapter enough for your liking. More to come! Please let me know what you all think… reading your reactions helps me figure out if I'm heading in acceptable direction =)_


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Am I Dreaming?

Stiles awoke with a start, and for a moment couldn't remember where he was. As the unfamiliar shed came into focus all of it came rushing back to him; missing the bus, the snow, getting stuck, Lydia. The fire was still going but barely, the alarm had yet to go off so he wasn't sure what had woken him. He relaxed back into the blankets for a few more minutes of rest and warmth when Lydia twitched in her sleep. She began murmuring, "Stiles, no! Come back!" She seemed to be getting hysterical.

Stiles carefully leaned over her and shook her gently. "Lydia, wake up babe it's just a dream." It took her a few moments but eventually her eyes snapped open and the terror that was swimming in them nearly knocked the breath from. "Hey, babe are you okay?" He asked her softly. She didn't answer just sat up and threw her arms around his neck and cried quietly into his neck. He repositioned himself so he wouldn't lose his balance and brought her to his lap. He ran his hand softly through her hair and rubbed a circle on her lower back with his other. "It's okay Lydia, I'm right here." He whispered softly into her ear and anything else reassuring he could think of. This Lydia wasn't the fierce one he'd seen yesterday. The one in his arms was fragile and delicate and Stiles was afraid to make any sudden moves that might startle her. He didn't know where this terror and emotion was coming from and it honestly scared him.

Finally her tears dried and she brought her face back and wiped her face with the back of her hand. "Sor-" she started to apologize but a swift look from Stiles and she stopped giving him a timid smile at her slip.

"You want to talk about it?" Stiles asked her.

"Maybe in a minute. I think I just need to lie down and calm down for a few minutes." He nodded and lifted her gently from his lap and returned her to the warm covers. The alarm began to beep and she reached over and reset it for another two hours. Stiles stood, his limbs and joints protesting at the movement, and collected the last of the logs to put on the fire.

"We should be good for a little while longer. I'll go back out and get more wood when the alarm goes off." He told her as he settled back in behind her. She surprised him by curling into his chest and wrapping her arm around his waist. He had has arm around and her and began rubbing small circles on her arm as they settled back in.

She was quite for a while and Stiles had thought she had drifted off back to sleep when she surprised him by speaking. "You didn't come back for me, in the dream. So I went looking for you but couldn't find you."

Stiles pulled Lydia closer to him squeezing her tightly and then kissed the top of you her head. "It was just a dream Lydia, you know I'd never leave you behind, not willingly anyway." He said as he suppressed a shudder thinking of the time Peter had made him choose and he'd had to leave her on the field to take her place.

She placed a hand over his heart and Stiles swore it skipped a beat. "I know Stiles. But sometimes I can't help where my mind goes. I'm honestly afraid to love again after Jackson. After all I went through with him… I don't know if I can go through that and survive it."

His mind had heard what she said but it couldn't seem to get past the word "love". Did that mean Lydia was falling for him? He thought a moment before speaking. "You know after my mom I felt the same way. I had a hard time letting anyone in. I had Scott but I didn't have any other friends, I didn't want them. I constantly worried every time my father left for work, afraid he'd be killed and I'd be alone. But my dad pulled me aside about a year later and told me that just because I loved her and lost her didn't mean I was going to lose everyone that I cared about." He paused to recollect himself as the overwhelming feeling of loneliness and loss came over him. "I asked him, if he knew going in that my mother wouldn't be with him if he would have chosen differently. He told me that he wouldn't have. That she was such a wonderful person that he was better for just having gotten to know her for that short time. I sort of followed his take on life after that, joined lacrosse, made some friends. And even with everything going on, I dunno… I still saw you Lydia. I still wanted you even knowing you could have been taken away in a breathe. Like when you disappeared from the hospital and we couldn't find you… it nearly killed me."

Lydia sat up and placed her arm on his chest as she towered over him. "Stiles… I didn't know. I didn't know how you felt about me. I'm sorry…" Stiles tried to give her a look but she cut him off. "No this I really do need to apologize for. I did see you but I dismissed your infatuation with me off as just that. I never took the time to get to know you and yet you still did so many things for me. I was so mean sometimes because I thought that was the role I was supposed to play. But the truth is Stiles I see you now. The real you. You are kind and sweet and unfailingly faithful. I don't think I deserve you but if you are willing to take a chance on me then I guess I can try and let go of my fear that you'll disappear on me and give this… give us a try." She finished biting her lip nervously waiting for a response from Stiles.

Stiles wanted to pinch himself. Surly this was a dream. He was still curled up by the fire or had been knocked unconscious or something. This couldn't be real, it was too good. "What are you thinking?" She asked disturbed by his lack of response.

"Am I dreaming?" He asked. She simply giggled before shaking her head no and dropping her lips to his to give him a kiss.

"Let's get some sleep Stiles. We'll get up in a bit and get more wood and then we can make up for some lost time getting to know one another without the threat of some murdering psycho looming over us." She said as she settled back down into the crook of his arm.

"Deal." He said and closed his eyes and for the first time thanked the Gods that they had somehow ended up stranded alone together and allowing for them to get to this point.

_A/N: This chapter is a little shorter and mostly fluff. But I felt we really needed this scene with Lydia and Stiles. They take a big important step forward and I didn't want to minimize that with a bunch of action taking place too. _

_Thank you so much for all of your reviews and follows! They mean the world to me. Truly they do. I think in the next chapter or two we can expect to have an upward swing in the action to the climax before concluding around Christmas eve. That is the plan anyway. _

_I'm hoping to write out the next few chapters today so I can begin proofing them. Maybe even squeeze in a bit of Photoshop art of Stydia if work is extra kind to me. Hang out with me on Tumblr or leave some love here if you'd like! Chasechick!_


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Trouble in Paradise

The alarm blared to life rousing Stiles from a particularly good dream. He had to quickly pull himself away from Lydia or she'd feel exactly how good the dream was. She fumbled for the phone half asleep and dismissed the alarm. He leaned down and kissed her neck daringly. "You can stay and rest and I'll go get a load of wood." She moaned in appreciation at either the kiss or being allowed to stay in the warmth of their little cocoon. He didn't care, either way she was beautiful as she laid there. He could get used to waking up with her in the morning.

Stiles pulled on his extra pair of socks and boots both still warm from the fire. He didn't dare pull off his sock to check his toe it was still oddly numb so he figured that was foreboding enough. He pulled on an extra sweatshirt and coat, his hat and gloves before stepping out of the shed. The view was stunning. If their situation hadn't been so unexpected and dire he would have loved it. The sun was just breaking the horizon causing the snow to glisten and shimmer in the cold. There was nothing around him as far as he could see except pristine untouched wilderness.

Judging by the approaching greyness though the sun wouldn't be around for long so Stiles set about widening his circles from the previous night and tried gathering some wood. His prints from the night before had long been obscured in the night from the snow and wind. Everything looked different when he could see more than the narrow beam of the flashlight so he started a little closer to the shed hoping to see wood he missed the previous night. He gathered an arm load and carried it back to the shed and tossed them in. Lydia was sitting cross legged by the fire brushing her hair and startled when he poked his head in.

"Looks like there is a small break in the storm but some serious clouds are rolling in quick. I think I'm just going to collect as much wood as I can before it hits."

"Okay, be careful Stilinski!" She warned as she stood to take a few pieces of the wood he had deposited to add them to the pitiful embers that remained. He smirked at her before ducking back out. Stiles continued to circle the shed getting further from it with each pass. There wasn't a lot of downed wood small enough for him to use so it was slow going. The grey clouds had quickly overcome the sun and were growing heavier with each passing circle. The snow would fly before long.

He tried to keep the shed in his line of site so that he wouldn't get lost or could see the shed should something happen. But it was getting further away. As the time ticked on he grew more and more tired. They were nearly out of food and the few pieces of jerky he'd eaten wasn't enough to sustain him. The hike back with each armload felt like it took hours instead of minutes. The wind had started to pick up as Stiles made another trek out. He'd rather have enough wood to wait out this next blast of the storm rather than be traipsing out in the dark with coyotes and lord knows what else about.

He had strayed farther from the shed this time hoping to find a little more tinder when he saw the creek. Parts of it were frozen over but parts were still bubbling. Stiles carefully slid down the bank to get a closer look. He hoped he'd find some fish to catch to smoke up for dinner. He walked along carefully until he found a shallow pool and sure enough there were some swimming shadows in the deep water. He smiled to himself. He could grab some tinder from the creek bed and grab some fishing line and lure and see if he could catch some dinner before the storm got too bad. He hoped Lydia liked fish but even she probably wouldn't be too picky what with their slim pickings in the food department.

He clambered back out of the bank scrambling a bit and getting snowy in the process, but he didn't care. He'd found the creek and it had fish. He grabbed a big arm load of wood as it was more plentiful by the water and headed back retracing his steps carefully to the shed. When he opened the door his chin nearly hit the floor. Lydia had her back to him and she was naked from the waste up.

"Stiles shut the door! Oh my God its cold!" She admonished as she put a hand over her breasts to hide them from him.

"I- uh. Sorry." His face had to be as red as his favorite hoodie by now. He busied himself piling his arm load of wood on his stack he had accumulated.

"It's fine. Really I should have changed under the blankets but I just needed something… clean." She said as she deftly slipped a shirt over her head. "It's okay you can turn around now." He turned around and her face too seemed to be redder than usually though she had her lips pursed like she dared him to make a comment.

"So I found the creek. And good news, there's a pool with fish in it. I hope you like fish, that is if I can catch any fish." Stiles nervously rambled.

Lydia smiled as she stood and walked over to him. "Stiles, fish would be great. Do you have enough time before the snow?"

"If I hurry. I just need to get some fishing line and hooks." Lydia nodded and made her way over to the tackle box. She quickly pulled out some line and tied a hook to one end. She pulled out two extra and handed them to him.

"Just in case, you never know if you break the line, you'd lose the hook." Stiles quirked an eyebrow at her in shock.

"What? It's common sense Stiles! It's not like fishing is rocket science." He smiled at her, because even if it had been rocket science she probably would have figured it out then too.

"I'll be back soon." He leaned in and kissed her. He meant it to be quick and started to pull back but she stopped him by putting her arms around him and deepening the kiss.

"Please be careful and hurry back." She said. She moved from him and gave him the last of the jerky bag. "I had my piece this is yours, you need to eat."

He smiled shyly at her and took the bag and made his way back out into the cold. He popped one piece of jerky in his mouth and slowly started chewing trying to savor what little he had. He kept the last piece in case the fish needed bait.

He found his path from the previous trek and carefully made his way to the shallow pool of fish. Just as he pulled the line from his pocket the first snowflakes began falling. He dropped the line in the pool and held his breath and waited. He waited as still as he could, but for him it was hard. He slowly counted to 500 hundred in his head before he decided to pull it out and try it with a piece of the jerky.

He slipped his gloves off in the numbing cold and hooked a piece of the jerky on before sliding his glove back on and slipping it into the partially frozen water. He was nearing three hundred and giving up hope when he felt a tug on the line. He smiled to himself as he gently pulled up on the string.

Out came a small ugly fish but to him it was beautiful. He grabbed it with his gloved hand and pulled the hook from his mouth. He searched around and found a rock to club it on its head and put it out of its misery. He reasoned he'd try for a couple more before he worried about gutting and cleaning them.

He managed to get three more before the snow was coming down so hard he had a hard time seeing. He gathered his four fish and tied them into a group and hung them over his shoulder. He could always gut them when he got to the shed. He didn't want Lydia to worry about him being out this long.

It took him longer than it should have, the sky seemed to be dark earlier than it should have with the dark ominous clouds overhead. He finally found the path back and caught a glimpse of the shed, a dark shape in the falling snow. He made his way back and as he got closer he saw Lydia bundled in her coat and boots returning to the cabin. Perhaps she had to go the bathroom, or she was looking for him. She stopped in her tracks, must be she'd caught sight of him.

Stiles tried to quicken his pace but he was frozen and bone tired. When he saw Lydia take a worried step backwards away from the shed he knew something was wrong.

"Lydia?" He shouted as he tried to hurry faster. "Lydia what's wrong."

It wasn't until he rounded the corner that he saw the coyotes. They were snarling and snapping at her and they were standing between her and the shed.

_A/N: Sorry for the cliffy… okay not really. Hoping you enjoyed this chapter, the next will be rolled out soon… it's already written…. Leave some love if you feel so inclined!_


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

There Goes My Baby

Stiles put on the last burst of speed he had in him. He was at a perpendicular angle to Lydia and the snarling pack of coyotes. There were three, all ragged and mangy looking, thin from their winter struggles. They smelled food and they were going to take it. They were aggressive by nature and in a pack they could be deadly. Stiles had done a fair amount of research on them when Scott had first been bitten. He'd read up on anything similar in nature to the wolf.

"Lydia." Stiles said more quietly this time. She gasped and snapped her head to him. She hadn't seen him in her terror. "Are you okay?"

She simply nodded, her breath puffing out the air in front of her as her fear took hold.

"Listen to me. It's going to be okay. I'm going to try to draw them away so you can get to the shed."

"What? No! Absolutely not! Stiles they'll attack you there is no way you can out run them." The tears had started.

"Hey babe don't cry just listen." All the while the coyotes took small menacing steps towards her snapping at her aggressively. There were no more than ten feet between her and the coyotes. The shed lay a measly twenty feet beyond them. So close yet so far away. "I have some fish. I'll move and then when they follow me you run to the shed. I'll toss them a fish and hopefully they'll take the bait. I have my Swiss army knife. It'll be okay." Stiles wanted to believe it but he knew the odds weren't in his favor.

She looked like she wanted to protest but one of the coyotes grew tired of waiting and started forward. Stiles acted before she could argue any further. He yelled and ran at them. They scampered back but only for a moment before deciding that he wasn't enough of a threat to make them turn and run. They turned on him like Stiles had hoped leaving Lydia behind forgotten. He didn't look to see if she'd run back to the shed like he had told her. He simply hoped she had.

He turned a sharp corner to make his way back to the shed and ripped one of the fish from his tied bundle. He waited until they were snapping at his heels and he could feel the heat of their breath before he dropped it nearly on them. Two of them stopped. He could hear them snarl and fight over the piece of meat. One was not so easily deterred and clamped down on the back of Stile's leg in a jolt of fiery pain he fell to the snow which was surprisingly hard.

He yelled out involuntarily in pain and tried to turn to get at the coyote while kicking his other leg at him. He managed a well-placed kick that dislodged his leg from its powerful jaws but the beast rounded on him again. He swung with the knife but it was moving too fast as it barreled into him. Out of instinct he brought his forearm up to protect his neck and face and could feel the crushing power of its jaws. It didn't break the skin at first instead it ripped through his layers, it ripped him from side to side dragging him like a rag doll. Stiles knew he needed to get on his feet fast. If the other coyotes returned he'd be done for. He grasped his knife just as the beast ripped into the flesh of his arm. He yelled out as drove the knife out. He got the beast in the side of the neck but didn't do enough damage. Stiles was starting to realize he'd be over powered by this thing, it would be the end of him, and all this time he'd assumed a werewolf would be his demise.

Something came out of the shadows and hit the thing viciously in the side of the head with an almighty thwack. His hold on his arm was immediately released and the coyote scampered off as it yelped more like a dog than anything scary.

"Stiles?" Lydia asked as she knelt down to help him sit up.

"Lydia?" He groaned as he pulled himself to his feet. "What are you doing here? Never mind. We need to hurry, the others are here somewhere."

Without another word they began the trek back to the shed with Stiles leaning more and more on Lydia as they went. Thankfully the shed came into view and they hurried over to it, he opened the door and they slid in. He shut the door quickly just as the others came into view. They pawed at the door and growled but gave up after a moment.

Thankfully he still had his knife and the fish so it hadn't been a total loss he thought as he set them down on the pile of wood. When he attempted to take a step though his leg started to give out and he felt weak.

"Stiles!" Lydia yelled out to him catching him mid fall and leading him over to their blankets. "Oh God! Are you okay? You have to be okay I won't take any other answer."

"M fine." He muttered out.

She quickly ripped off her hat gloves and coat and tossed them out of the way. She pulled his hat and gloves off quickly and tossed them with her own. She moved to his boots next, His pants were too tight to get a good look at the wound so she stood and retrieved his knife from the wood pile and cut the pant leg off below the knee. It revealed a jagged bite mark oozing blood, it looked deep but it didn't seem to have gotten any major veins or arteries. She thanked God for small miracles. Stiles was laying on his back his good arm over his eyes as if hiding from it all but his lower lip was pulled in and clenched painfully in his teeth and Lydia knew he was trying to keep the pain hidden.

"Your leg isn't too bad. Let's get your coat and shirt off you and look at your arm." Lydia said as she moved to tug on his arm away from his eyes. "Babe? Are you okay? Talk to me." She demanded as she pulled gently on his good hand and brought it to her mouth in a kiss.

"I'm scared Lyd." He whispered shakily as he looked at her. "It feels pretty bad. This," he motioned with his hand at the room in general, "this whole situation is bad."

She pushed his wet hair off his forehead and placed a kiss on it. "I know, but I'm going to take care of you and you are going to be okay. You have to be okay Stiles." At the site of her fresh tears he reigned in his own emotions. He continued to bite his lip as he worked to pull off his coat. He couldn't leave her alone out here. He wouldn't. She managed to get his coat off him but she could see by the fire light that his hoodie was wet, a darker red than it normally was. She offered him a tight lipped smile as she pulled his good arm out and over his head, as gentle as she was he still cried out in pain as it pulled off his chewed arm. "I know baby I'm sorry."

He puffed in a deep breath and let it out with a shudder. "I told you Lyd. Don't apologize. Not to me."

_A/N: Well I guess you get a twofer today. I had planned on posting Chapter 8 last night when pretty much our entire county lost power. So I posted it this morning. Now you get this one this afternoon. I plan on writing Chapter 10 as soon as this is posted. I'm setting a crazy pace with this fanfic but I would like it wrapped up for Christmas (pun intended). Thank you for all the love! It means so much to me!_

_Enjoy and look for another chapter tomorrow =) Chasechick_


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10 

Stiles felt woozy, either from lack of food or from the ebb of the adrenaline from the coyote encounter he wasn't sure. He hadn't looked at the wound on his arm, choosing instead to keep his eyes covered with his good arm while Lydia worked. He had closed his eyes immediately when she had pulled the remnants of his favorite red hoodie over his head, he didn't want to see it. Things were bad enough in their situation without adding this to it.

Wait until Scott finds out, he thought, and Stiles giggled a little at the amusement that was sure to be had by all when they found out what he had been attacked by, the irony was just a bit much. "Stiles?" Lydia asked uncertainly, "Are you okay?" His arm and leg were cold as she dumped melted snow water on his wounds in effort to flush out bacteria.

"I'm just imagining Scott's reaction to this when they find us. It's just a bit ironic don't you think?"

Instead of responding to his question she simply stated, "Take a deep breath, this might sting but I need to pat your leg dry to put some antiseptic on it." He did as she instructed and blew it out noisily as she worked on drying it off. "Good boy." She smiled at him as he peeked from under his arm.

"I'm not a dog you know." Stiles gave her a trembling smirk.

She quirked an eyebrow at him, "You never know Stiles you did just get bit by a coyote, you might turn into one."

Stiles burst into laughter at her comment and she followed suit. It felt good to laugh again. "Okay now breathe and don't move this is going to burn." She uttered as she dabbed his leg with an antiseptic from her small first aid kit.

And holy God did it burn. He figured this is probably what Scott's arm felt like when Derek took a blow torch to it in order to reveal his tattoo. "Shhh… deep breaths, I don't need you to pass out on me." She admonished. She didn't have a bandage big enough so she pulled one of her tank tops out and tied it as tightly as she could on the wound causing Stiles to cry out. "All done with that one babe. Let's get a sip of water into you and take a minute okay?"

He just nodded shakily as she helped him sit up piling his pack and her bag behind him in a make shift pillow. She brought a half a bottle of water over to his lips and batted is arm away when he tried to hold the bottle himself, instead opting to bring it to his mouth for him. He took several long pulls from the bottle effectively emptying before laying his head back exhausted. "How you holding up?" She asked him. He paused to think about it. His leg throbbed but it wasn't horrible, his arm however burned now that it was open to the air.

"How bad is it?" He asked her and was surprised by how tired he sounded.

Lydia chewed her lip nervously as he looked at her, "Honestly, as long as you don't get infection I think your leg will be okay, it's not bleeding badly. Your arm though… it's pretty rough. You definitely are going to the ER when they find us." She smiled at him and leaned forward on her knees putting both of her hands on his face as he began to tremble fighting to hold back tears. "Shhh." She said as she closed the distance kissing his lips softly. "It'll be okay Stiles. You can let it out you know. You don't have to hide tears from me. Besides I think you're really beautiful when you cry."

At the sound of his own words being tossed back at him he laughed and cried at the same time, warm tears slid down his cheeks. Her soft thumbs brushed them away before she kissed him this time more deeply. After he had collected himself she let go of his hands to tend his arm. He laid his head back and threw his good arm over his eyes once more.

"I'm going to try some antiseptic on here as best I can, just try and keep still but if you need me to stop just say so okay." He simply nodded without looking at her.

"Let's just get this over with." He mumbled.

She dabbed a little here and a little there, his whole arm felt heavy and on fire. He breathed deeply and loudly but was determined to get through the cleaning without having to stop. It was better just to get it over with. Finally just when the room started to spin beneath him just stopped dabbing. "That's the best I can do with what I have." She declared as she added the gauze and antiseptic wipes to the burning fire. "Let's give it a moment to dry and I'll find something to wrap it in. You hanging in there?" She asked him.

"I'm just so tired Lyd." He said finally looking at her.

"I know babe. Let's get your arm bandaged and I'll fix up the fire and get some snow to melt and take care of the fish and get you something to eat." She tried to keep a smile on her face but it started to slip and he could see her chin quiver.

"Lydia, it's okay. You have to be exhausted to why don't you just rest for a while?" He asked her as he nodded to the spot next to him.

She smiled, "You always were more concerned about everyone else instead of your own well-being." She said as she added a few more logs to the fire. His eyes tracked her every move until she stood behind him and knelt unzipping her bag and pulling out another tank top. She circled back around and sat on her knees gracefully, Stiles effectively looked away as she tied the shirt around it as tight as she could and cinched it into a knot. She took his hoodie and ripped a longer piece tying it to his wrist and motioned for him to sit up. "A sling. So you won't be tempted to move it. The bleeding has slowed down and I don't need you to reopen it." She said back to her businesslike tone.

She finished her work and for the first time Stiles took a chance and looked at his arm. He couldn't see much of it. The bandage was bulky with a small spot of blood forming through parts of it staining Lydia's shirt. "I'm just going to scoop some more snow into our bottles, I'll be right back."

"Lydia, I don't think that's such a good idea." Stiles said as he struggled to sit up and climb to his feet. She put her hands on his chest and gently pushed him back.

"I'm only going to open the door and stick my arm out, you'll be able to see me the whole time and I'll be careful I promise." She said as she kissed him softly. She was on her feet and leaning out the door wary for any threats before he could question her.

She popped back in after a moment with three snow filled bottles and sat them close enough to the fire to melt the water without melting the plastic. She wiped Stile's knife off on a piece of his shirt that lay tattered on the floor. "Now… how do I fix these fish so we can cook them?" She asked brandishing the knife.

He looked at her with a goofy smile on his face. "Why do I find that so hot?"

She rolled her eyes and smiled at him, "Because you're getting delirious from hunger on my Stilinski."

He laughed and then proceeded to talk her through how to clean the kills and then she laid them on the stone next to the fire. She cleaned her hands as best she could with some snow before giving Stiles another drink. "Can I get you anything? How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine. I'll be better once I eat." He answered her groggily as she moved to sit beside him and cradled his head in her lap.

"Good then you're okay enough to deserve this." She gave him a swift smack in his good arm.

"Ow! Hey! What was that for?" He asked in mock pain.

"For going on all heroic on me out there! Seriously what were you thinking? You could have been killed! And I reserve the right to hit you again after we are safe and sound and you are feeling better."

"Aw it's okay Lyd. I had to act I didn't have time to think it out." Stiles was slightly annoyed.

"But what would I have.. have done if they had finished you… off." She started to cry in earnest. She'd been holding it in while she tended him but now she couldn't any longer. Stiles wrapped his good arm around her neck and pulled her down to him. He brushed her tears and kissed her lips while mumbling his apology.

"I'm so sorry Lydia. But I had to do something. Thank you for rescuing me." She smirked at that and brushed her tears before she maneuvered out from under him to check the fish.

"You're not the only one who can play the hero Stiles."

_A/N: We are winding down to Christmas. I'm not sure which I'm more nervous about, Christmas and getting my shopping done or finishing this fic on time. LOL. First world problems I guess. Hope you guys enjoy this Chapter. I will post the remainder of the fic tomorrow… I'm not sure whether it will be one or two chapters… but that is my goal at least. Thanks again for all the love! Chasechick!_


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Last Hope

Lydia's POV

The fish was exceptional and filling. Stiles couldn't keep his eyes open after he'd eaten his fill and drank his water. The wind still howled outside drifting the snow against the door but it looked like no more new flakes were added to the mix.

Lydia cleaned up their fare as best she could and added more kindling to the fire before lying carefully next to Stiles. Her phone was surprisingly still on but since she had turned off the radio and quit searching for signal and didn't use it for anything other than the time or for the light she guessed it would last a while longer than normal. She set the alarm for herself so she could continue to feed the fire.

They slept side by side, Lydia rising to tend the fire and check outside at the conditions. She returned to a fitfully sleeping Stiles, his brow furrowed as if in pain or some nightmare. She thought about rousing him but decided against it. He had been pushing himself too far since long before they'd taken this disastrous trip. She knew he hadn't been sleeping well but had refrained from comment. She knew all too well what it was like to have things pursue you in your dreams. It wasn't fun.

By morning she found him still asleep. She added the last of the kindling they had to the fire and knelt beside him. He seemed to be shivering even though he was still encased in the blanket, his brow was sweaty and his skin pale. She laid the back of her hand on his forehead and was dismayed to feel how warm he felt.

She ran through a list of possible causes to the fever in her head. It could have been any number of things, exposure, the frost bite to his toe, septicemia (blood poisoning from the bites). She bit her lip in worry as she tried to rouse him to get him to drink from the bottle. He only took a few small sips before laying his back exhausted on the bag. She tucked the blankets in around him and sat back to plan what she was going to do.

They had left on Friday afternoon to catch the bus, were stranded by Friday night and come to the shed. They had spent Friday night and Saturday night here so Lydia figured it was Sunday morning by now. Hopefully the group had reached Yosemite and gotten their various texts and phone messages that said they were going to attempt to catch up with the bus. When they never arrived she hoped they would have been smart enough to call home and alert the Sheriff and the emergency responders that they were stranded somewhere between home and Yosemite.

Stiles didn't appear as though he would wake any time soon so Lydia dressed warmly in her coat and gloves, she borrowed Stiles's warmer boots and layered her socks so they fit snugly. She cracked the door open to see the sun shining brightly above her, it looked like the storm had finally blown through. The air was still biting and cold but at least the winds had stilled and the snow had given way to clear skies.

She leaned back in and grabbed the tire iron from by the door and ventured outside. She trekked around and grabbed armfuls of wood being wary of any traces or movements for fear the coyotes would come back to exact their revenge on her and finish her off. The woods were still and silent, the snow gleamed like diamonds in the sun, it was as if the whole world had stopped. Lydia dumped a pile of wood inside and peeked on Stiles he was still grimacing in his sleep but was still out of it.

Lydia decided that she should try making it to the road to see if there were any signs of life. The snow was deep but thankfully packed in hard, she was able to walk across the top of the snow drift instead of it being up to her chest. She found her bedraggled looking scarf tied to the tree still marking their location. The road still hadn't been plowed but she hoped they would be soon. She noted that it was nearing lunch time and with only a little left over fish they'd be out of food soon. She made the decision that if Stiles hadn't improved by two she'd make the trek to the highway. It wasn't that far and the odds that people were cleaning up out there increased with it being a main highway.

She went back to the shed and let herself back in. Stiles was sitting up looking around with worry. "Where were you?" He asked and though he tried to sound angry his voice lacked the strength to make it sound that way.

"Checking out at the road and getting more wood. The snow and winds have stopped, the sun is out! They'll be cleaning the road soon and we can get help. How are you feeling?" She asked as she undressed from her layers and lastly from Stiles's boots. He smirked when he saw her wearing them.

"Well next time tell me I was going out of my mind with worry. Thought you might have been dragged off by those coyotes or something. That's all I seemed to dream about last night." She didn't miss him avoiding her question.

She gave him a small smile and handed him a bottle of water. He took only a small sip before passing it back to her. She felt his forehead and was alarmed that it seemed hotter than only an hour before. "You have a fever." She stated and Stiles simply shrugged his shoulders. "Let's get something to eat and I'll check the road again in a little while." He made to argue that it wasn't safe but he pointed glare silenced him.

He lay back down defeated as she tended the fire and unwrapped their remaining fish. He only chewed a small bite and pushed the rest towards her. "I don't want to waste it and I'm starting to think it might be making a reappearance, you eat it." He looked a little green and his face had an unhealthy sheen to it. She simply nodded and it took it without argument.

He fell back asleep after lunch and she made the choice that she needed to go and get help and she needed to do it now. She didn't want to think how bad things would be if they had to wait another day. She bundled back up in her attire, grabbing her trusty tire iron before sneaking out the door. She followed her tracks from earlier as they were undisturbed without the gale force winds, and reappeared on the road. Still no plows had gone through but she trekked on shivering in the still arctic air.

It took her almost an hour to make it to the exit ramp in the deep snow. It was difficult with her short stature to get through the snow that was often above her knee in places. The exit or on ramps still had not been cleaned and it looked like the highway hadn't either. She felt a sinking wait of despair in her stomach and feared her fish too might be coming back up.

She swallowed down her sickly feeling and decided to make a trek to the car to see if anyone had been there. The cold bit at her the whole way and even with Stiles's boots and her extra layers she still was already shivering from the cold. The car had a heavy layer of snow on it but nothing looked to have been disturbed. Lydia brushed the snow off and hopped into the driver's seat and cranked the engine. Surprisingly it sputtered to life. She flicked the radio on and waited for a transmission hoping one would come before she ran out of gas and her battery died.

Finally a ray of hope. "Crews are out and are doing the best they can to get to people stranded. Please be patient. Please try to stay inside and keep warm until crews can reach you. Emergency centers have been set up in nearby towns for people stranded without power. We will keep you updated." She turned the radio off just as her car engine died. She flicked the key into the off position and sat for a moment, feeling nearly defeated but knowing Stiles would be going out of his mind with worry if he was awake, and if he wasn't… she was really worried about him.

The sun was setting causing the temperature to drop even further. By the time she had reached the ramps to the highway she was numb from the cold. She'd have to collect more wood and she'd have to hurry, she didn't want to be out in the dark, the coyotes might be out again. She glanced down the highway and stilled for a moment. Sure enough there was a haze of lights in the distance. Someone was coming. They were saved.

She waited and waited and slowly the haze of lights made their way to her, but it was nearly dark by the time they were clearly visible. She turned her flashlight on her phone and began jumping up and down waving it wildly in the air in the hopes they would see her. She was drained of energy but she found enough for this. This was their only shot.

There were two enormous snow plow trucks, and it looked like emergency vehicles following behind it. She was crying so hard with hope and worry. Thankfully they must have spotted her because they veered from the main highway and made their way up the exit ramp stopping beside her.

She barely saw the driver of the snow plow truck as he approached her when John Stilinski barreled into her and wrapped her in a vicious hug. "Lydia thank God you are okay. Where's Stiles?" He asked her and she shakily wiped her tears.

"He's back this way, we've been holed up in a shed, he's sick though, and he got attacked by some coyotes yesterday." She whimpered and her knees nearly gave out as her strength finally wilted. He didn't miss a beat simply gathering her from under knees and cradling her as he and the driver helped her into the warm cab of the truck. The driver motioned for the crew behind him to follow him.

All Lydia could hope that Stiles was still waiting in the shed and that he was still breathing… she couldn't function otherwise. "There!" She yelled as they stopped only a short distance from the ramp. She had thought it was so much further when she walked it but by truck it only took moments. " Just through the trees". She made to climb with them but John put his arm on her.

"No sweetheart you stay here we'll get him and then we'll get you two someplace safe and get you both sorted out." She wanted to argue but she didn't want to slow them down. She simply nodded as she watched a group of EMS make their way to the shed. To her Stiles.

_A/N: Almost there! One more chapter to wrap things up. Then who knows. Maybe I'll have a second one based off this. I've never written a fic this fast or easy. Maybe I'll continue on with this version of Stydia for a bit =) Thank you all so much for your kind words and follows… you all rock! As promised the "conclusion" for this will be up today and if you all think it's a good idea I might start drumming up an idea for a sequel._


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Merry Christmas!

The men carried Stiles between them on a stretcher and Lydia couldn't wait any longer. She bounded from the warm truck over to them. "How is he?" She asked John as he walked beside his son.

"He's burning up and unconscious. We're going to get him in the ambulance and get him to the hospital. I know that look on your face, you aren't going to let him out of your site so you might as well ride along in the EMS truck." She followed behind never letting the boy out of her site. The plow driver had the foresight to grab their belongings from the shed and tossed them in his truck and gave her a small wave as he maneuvered the truck around so he could plow a safe passage home.

John bundled Lydia into the front seat of the SUV. It was like an ambulance in Beacon Hills only this one was built into the chasse of a four wheel drive SUV. She guessed you'd need it in these conditions. They maneuvered Stiles onto a bench seat and belted him in securely; John climbed in with the paramedic and shut the doors. They lurched and were on their way.

The ambulance was warm and safe and finally she could let go of the responsibility of Stiles's care to someone with more expertise than herself. She tried to keep an eye on what they were doing but the angle caused a crick in her neck. Not long after turning around to watch their surroundings she found herself dozing feeling truly warm for the first time in days.

"Lydia." Someone was shaking her awake. She opened her eyes groggily as she came to. There were bright lights everywhere. "Lydia we're here." It was John Stilinski and she jumped immediately looking for Stiles. They already had him out of the back and secured to a stretcher and were wheeling him into the hospital.

This hospital was enormous; it made theirs in Beacon Hills look tiny in comparison. At least Stiles would be getting the best care here. She stumbled out of the ambulance and would have face planted on the pavement had John not caught her. She glanced down, she was still wearing Stiles's big boots. John must have noticed too because he gave her a small smile. They ambled after him into the waiting personnel.

A kind nurse steered her into her own bay and pulled the curtain. "I'll stay with him and let you know how he is. You let them take care of you okay." John placed a kiss on her forehead. "I'll let your parents and Scott know we have you both okay?" She nodded grateful that he was with them.

He disappeared after his son and the nurse went through a series of questions. She had her disrobe and put on the God awful hospital gown. She stared an IV and wrapped some of her frost bite with creams and bandages. Thankfully none was deep enough to cause any serious damage. She had the cafeteria send up a trey of food and Lydia ate it all and for once didn't complain at the taste of the food.

She sat by herself listening to the hustle and bustle of the hospital and wondered where Stiles was in the midst of the chaos and how he was faring. She longed to lay beside him and hold his hand, to see his eyes on hers and hear his voice again. She had fallen quick and hard for that boy once she had let her guard down. It had taken her by complete surprise. She was good at denying things and had been denying her growing affection for him for some time.

Though she wanted to hear something she found herself growing drowsy with the pain relievers and a full belly and drifted off asleep.

When she awoke again it was to the eyes of Allison. She was in her own room now instead of just a bay. "Allison?" She asked and the girl gave her a watery smile.

"About time you woke up. I've been standing here for hours!" She admonished with no bite. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm okay, just tired. What are you doing here?" She asked as she said up gingerly surprised at how much her body ached now that she was warmed.

"We were frantic when we got to the cabin and we got your messages that you were going to try to catch up. The weather got dicey just as we made it up there and then when you didn't make it we called home hoping you'd gone there. We managed to get ahold of the Sheriff he started making calls and getting a search party out for you. He just called Scott as we were leaving the park and we had the bus drop us off here."

"How's Stiles have you heard?" Lydia asked as she fumbled for a cup of water and took a small shaky sip.

Allison bit her lip and was quiet for a moment. "Allison spill."

"Well… I guess he's still sedated. They had to clean his bites and drain them, he had a blood transfusion and they removed two of his toes. Scott and the Sheriff are sitting with him.

Lydia choked out a sob. "I need to use that bathroom and then I don't care if I have to hike down there with my derriere hanging out you are going to take me to see him." Demanded the fiery red head. Allison smiled and helped her drag her IV pole to her restroom.

When they returned the doctor was in the room to examine her and finally deem her fit for release. Allison dug some fresh clothes out of her own bag that was slumped in the corner and Lydia dressed quickly not even bothering to check her reflection in the mirror. She let Allison lead her to Stiles.

Her heart thudded in her chest as Allison led her down to the critical care unit. The sign said 2 visitors at a time but they disregarded that as she made her way to the circular room and spotted the Sheriff and Scott right away. She walked quickly to his side stopping short at the bottom of his bed.

He looked small there with all the tubes and wires, pale as nearly the sheets around him. She couldn't help it as the tears spilled out. Scott laid a hand on his shoulder before following Allison back out to the waiting room to give her some privacy. The Sheriff spoke softly to her. "It looks worse than it is. He'll be waking up any minute. He's going to be just fine Lydia." She simply nodded as the tears continued. "I'm going to get a cup of coffee I'll be back in a few." He said as he gave her a soft reassuring hug.

She moved to the side of the bed and sat in the vacated chair. She pulled his good hand in hers, careful of his IV line and brought it to her face and sobbed harder. "You promised me you wouldn't leave me Stiles. What do you call this? You said we'd be home in time for Christmas! Tomorrow is Christmas Eve and you better keep your promise." When berating him didn't rouse him she moved onto a heartfelt apology "I'm sorry Stiles. I'm so sorry I left you and I'm sorry I forced you into driving after the bus and got you in this situation." She cried his hand on her face as she stared at the rise and fall of his chest.

"Hey." Stiles puffed softly his eyes squinting in the light. "What have I told you about apologizing?" She smiled her tears stopping and laughed.

"Sorry." She apologized again earning her a small eye roll from Stiles. "Let me get the nurse and your dad."

"My dad's here?" He asked confused.

"Yes and Scott and Allison are here too. It's a long story." She said before standing and flagging down a nurse. When the nurse entered she shooed her away. Lydia gave him a wave before poking here head in the waiting room to yell to John. "He's awake!" He dropped his unfinished coffee cup in the trash and ran to join her.

The nurse had finished checking him over and dimmed the lights. Seeing his father she spoke softly. "He's awake just a little groggy. I'm going to get the doctor to explain things. It's best you're here with him." The Sheriff nodded at her before stepping up to his son.

"Hey kiddo how you feeling?" He said as he brushed his hair off his forehead and placed a kiss there thankful that it felt cool to the touch.

"Like I got munched on by a pack of coyotes." He answered back to his joking demeanor. Lydia resumed her seat and took his hand in hers reassured when his thumb caressed the palm of her hand.

The doctor arrived a few minutes later and introduced himself. Stiles followed the conversation as best as he could and gripped Lydia's hand painfully as he informed him about his loss of toes. "Your leg is healing nicely though we've left the wound open with terry strips to allow for any draining. Your arm however, you may experience some slight nerve damage, only time will tell. That too has been left open. We'll close them tomorrow after the antibiotics have fully tackled the infection."

John nodded at the doctor and Stiles just stared at Lydia who mouthed "It's okay," to him. Stiles's eyes were wet with unshed tears and he gave her a shaky nod and a small smile.

"When can I go home? I mean it is Christmas." The doctor gave him a soft smile.

"Well as long as there aren't any complications we can close up your wounds tonight or early tomorrow and have you on your way tomorrow afternoon as long as you follow up with your primary care physician after the holiday. Okay?" Stiles smiled and nodded. "I'll see about getting you into a private room now that you're out of the woods Mr. Stilinski.

His small room was packed. Lydia slept cramped in the little chair next to his bed her hand never leaving his. His father was on one cot and Allison on another. Scott stoically took the floor without complaint. On Christmas Eve morning they sutured his wounds as he pointed looked at Lydia the entire time. After lunch and another examine the doctor deemed him fit to head home for the holidays.

Isaac and Danny had appeared with Lydia's car whose only damage was a bent front fender it seemed and Mrs. McCall had come to pick up the rest of them. Lydia let Isaac drive her car with Danny, Scott and Allison while she sat in the back seat holding Stile's hand in her own as he dozed on the drive home.

When she was settled in her room that night after her mother had fawned over her relentlessly Lydia realized she hadn't had a chance to get Stiles a gift. More than that she missed him terribly and couldn't sleep. As if sensing her restlessness her phone pinged with an incoming message.

Stiles: "Are you awake?"

Lydia: "Of course. How are you?"

Stiles: "Sore. Lonley."

Lydia: "Me too."

Stiles: "Think you could sneak out?"

Lydia: "Are you trying to corrupt me?"

Stiles: "Are you corruptible?"

Lydia: "No."

Stiles: "I just miss you. Plus I have your Christmas present."

Lydia: "Sure, bribe me with gifts."

Stiles: "Well I know you. I'm using any tactics necessary."

Lydia: "I'll be over in twenty."

Lydia brushed her hair but opted to leave her warm flannel pjs on. She pulled on thick wool socks and her coat before leaving her mother a note on the offhand chance she checked in on her before she got back. She donned her gloves and slipped out to walk the four blocks to his house.

The porch light was on and the front door unlocked. She snuck silently as she could to Stiles's room and let herself in. His bedside lamp was glowing and his laptop was playing "White Christmas." He was propped up with his arm and foot on two more piles of pillows.

He beamed when he caught sight of her. "Your gift is on my dresser." He said as he pointed at it. After pulling off her extra layers she retrieved it. She sat gingerly next to Stiles who had slid over to give her enough room under the blankets.

"I didn't get a chance to get your gift yet." She said but was silenced by Stiles's lips which were hungry on her own.

"Having you here and being able to kiss you is gift enough for me." He said sincerely in the dim lighting and watched her blush.

She made quick work of the wrapping paper to reveal a new pair of heavy lined, waterproof heavy duty winter boots. "I love it!" She said as she threw herself at him and kissed him with new fervor.

"Thanks! I had Scott run out on the way home and grab them . My dad helped with the wrapping." He said nodding to his bum hand.

When they had calmed down she snuggled into his arm to watch the rest of the movie happy and content. She started to drift now safe and warm in his arms. "I love you Stiles. Just thought you should know." She said just as she dozed off leaving an open mouthed Stiles staring down in awe at her.

"Just got my Christmas wish." He said as he placed a kiss on the top of her head before snuggling down to sleep.

That was the way the Sheriff found them Christmas morning and didn't have the heart to wake them. Instead he retreated down to make coffee and waited for their visitors. Later that morning he helped Stiles down as Lydia followed sleepily behind. Lydia and Stiles padded into the living room to the couch to find the whole group waiting for them. They clapped and wolf whistled at their entrance and Scott said "It's about time."

Their faces were red that year in the pictures but you couldn't miss the way their eyes traveled to the other, their hands rarely left the other, the way they spoke volumes to the other without having to say a word. Yes, it truly was a Christmas miracle.

_A/N: Well there it is folks. Hope the ending wasn't too cheesy. I know I'll be dreaming of a plot for a sequel and if I can find something that I can carry on with this version of Stydia I definitely will. They were fun to dabble in. I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas and a Happy Holidays! It's been a fun ride!_


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